蜜芽传媒

Arts administrator, Amberlea Neely and architect, Aisling Rusk, are on a mission to transform Belfast's residential alleyways, originally built in the 19th century to allow access for coal deliveries, sewage systems and bin collections from the city's red-bricked terraces.

Today some are still used for bin collections but many are in a poor state, neglected and derelict 鈥� a space for fly-tippers and other anti-social behaviour. However a few have been transformed by local residents - pleasant laneways, festooned with flowers and plants, used for neighbourhood parties, even arts events. During lockdown they were valuable open spaces for some communities.

Amberlea and Aisling's fascination with Alleyways began a few years ago. They set up a project, 9ft. in Common 鈥� the average width of a typical Belfast alleyway 鈥� and spent six months walking up and down the passageways to draw up an interactive map of the network. They're campaigning for these small, hidden thoroughfares to become a vital part of Belfast's green infrastructure - traffic free walking and cycling routes.....and that's led them into council politics and the prickly issues of 鈥渙wnership鈥� and 鈥済ating.鈥�

In 9ft. in Common 鈥� Reclaiming Belfast's Alleyways, 蜜芽传媒 NI Arts Correspondent, Robbie Meredith, explores some of the city's alleyways with Amberlea and Aisling and talks to local residents about what their alleys mean to them. He considers the arguments for and against installing gates and the challenge the council faces in tackling anti-social behaviour. How realistic is 9ft. in Common's vision for many more of the city's alleyways to be transformed into welcoming public spaces?